Job Discussion Forums

[rxk22]

OOC, as I have only lived in Kanto and Kansai. Those of here who have or have lived in the more rural areas of Japan, please tell us how it is like living there.
I would consider any non main Island in the outer rim, same with smaller cities. Though Hiroshima and Sendai, I would count as metro.

How do you shop? In many areas here aren't a lot of larger malls, or stores.
Are there any major restaurant chains in your area. I lived in one area that just two Gusts, a Yoshinoya and a McDs. And those were in a 30-40min drive of each other. No movie theater and no mall. Just a Besia.

I esp want to hear from people living in the smaller islands, or in very rural areas.

Even Yamagata is pretty small, and i think that is as small of an area that I would ever want to live and have kids in.

Anyhow, I want some fun and random stories. Sorry for how messy this is laid out.

[TokyoLiz]

When I first started posting on this forum 15 years ago, I was living in southern Ehime Prefecture. It's wild and beautiful in many places and sparsely populated. Matsuyama City is a small well-preserved version of Hiroshima, complete with castle on a hilltop and streetcar.

I was in Uwajima City on the JET Programme and survived a year. As a 20 something Japanese learner in a conservative town with few young people, I yearned for bigger cities and vibrant youth culture, and escaped on weekends to Hiroshima and Matsuyama. If you're older, speak Japanese and bring your family with you, you will likely get a lot more out of the experience than I did.

[rxk22]

Wow, Uwajima looks really beautiful, and hucklebuck at the same time.

I think for many of us, when young, it is hard to be young and single in a small town in the middle of no where.
What did you do in Uwajima for fun? Besides leave?

I really do like Hiroshima. It is a great little city. The street car, and size make it pretty accessible.

I was with Interac, and swhere Interac stopped placing ALTs, JET started. Meaning they were in areas where there were no major train lines or none at all.

Anyone live on the smaller islands?

[TokyoLiz]

On Hachijojima a few years ago I met the local ALT. No place to spend on the island but the pub (where I found him) and transport off the rock.

[rxk22]